Green Talks about Immigration

Rep. Mark Green is the son of immigrants. He understands them and appreciates the important role they play and have played in America's history. Green also appreciates the rule of law so one way to honor legal immigrants is to be tough on those who flout our laws. He recently talked to a group of supporters about immigration.

Green is mild-mannered in temperment and full of conviction. It's quite different from the "extreme" label Gov. Doyle is trying to put on him.

More Fun at Drinking Right

Last night's Drinking Right was another good time at Papa's Social Club. I posted pics at Flickr. Enjoy.

iTunes Tax

New Jersey will become the next state to tax its citizen's downloads. Gov. Jim Doyle, who says he's never raised Wisconsin taxes, toyed with the idea last year. The Republican-controlled legislature stopped him. If he's re-elected expect him to try again to fund future big spending with an "iTunes tax."

"New Jersey's iTunes Tax"

Foley Money to Green Will Go to Charity

Mark Foley's sex scandal reaches Wisconsin. Foley's 1998 donation of $1000 to Mark Green will go to charity a Green spokesman said.

"Green to Donate $1,000 He Received from Embattled Congressman"

Say a Little Prayer

Tee Bee had to fly to California because her mother became ill. We're thinking about you here at TAM HQ.

Green Attacks Doyle on Illegal Immigrants

The ads are starting to roll out of the Mark Green campaign. His latest one hits Gov. Doyle hard on his special treatment for illegal immigrants.

He also harps on state taxes being too high. That's the big theme of his campaign, and he's staying on message.

WSJ Poll: Doyle's Lead Slims Tremendously

Zogby's poll for the Wall Street Journal, a combined online and phone poll, finds Gov. Jim Doyle with only a 1.3% lead over Rep. Mark Green.

And to really make the Wisconsin GOP ask themselves, "What if we actually found someone to challenge Sen. Herb Kohl?" the poll finds Kohl with only a 13.3% lead over Robert Gerald Lorge.

UPDATE: Even with this poll the overall average has Doyle with a 5% lead over Green. Doyle's numbers have started taking a nosedive.

Odd Poll in Governor's Race

Until I see corroborating numbers I'm discounting the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute's poll that has Gov. Doyle with a 5% lead over Rep. Mark Green. The overall spread seems right, but the poll says Green is leading in Democratic stronghold Milwaukee, and Doyle leads Green by 11% in Green Bay Green's backyard. If the numbers are accurate this will be one wild race with more unpredictabilities.

"Governor's Race Poll Contains Surprises"

More Mark Green Ads on YouTube

If you watch plenty of Wisconsin television you have probably already seen these two Mark Green ads. My tv watching amounts to sports and neither Green nor Doyle are buying ad time during Brewers games. So for those with similar viewing habits here's two good Green ads now on YouTube:

Mark Green really needs your help to make sure these ads get as much play as possible. Please donate to his campaign.

Joseph Sobran to Speak in Milwaukee Thursday

Last Saturday, James Widgerson posted on an up-coming speech by Joesph Sobran to the Wisconsin Forum. His speech will be about the "hijacking of conservatism." Sobran, once a paleo-conservative or paleo-libertarian now an anarchist, was forced to resign from National Review because of his unhealthy obsession with Israel and the role of Jews in American politics. In 1991, William F. Buckley wrote about how he attempted to keep Sobran from letting his obession harm his career and reputation.

From Sobran's own words about "Jewish power," the "wrath of Jewish advertisers," the "Jewish-Zionist powers that be in the United States," and his many uses of the pejorative "Zionist" (sounding like Palastinian propaganda) it's clear to me he has a dislike of Jews as a group. Ergo it's not a stretch to call Sobran an anti-Semite even though he was in awe of particular Jews like Murray Rothbard. What's also disturbing is his paranoia. Richard John Neuhaus quotes Sobran:

The older I get, the more I am impressed by this pervasive fear of the Jews-or rather, pervasive in some critical power centers, unfelt in other places. It is a huge factor, invisible and incalculable, in American culture and politics.

Sobran's obsession (one he denies) with Jews has no place in a conservatism where people are treated as individuals and not abstracted into ethnic groups with certain exceptions.

What should be done? What I can do is simply not attend the speech, and I encourage no one else to attend. Also, airing my opinion via this weblog is a constructive action. While the Wisconsin Forum has been around for decades and has an admirable committment "to speaking on behalf of the principles of liberty" I am very disappointed in their selection of Sobran. The organization's reputation has suffered in my eyes. Much work will be needed to be done to improve it.

Vice President Raises Big Bucks for Green and GOP

Vice President Dick Cheney came to Milwaukee to raise $150,000 for Mark Green and Wisconsin Republicans. That should help make up for losing in court to a Jim Doyle-appointed judge.

"Cheney Visits Milwaukee"

Mark Green Hits Back at Doyle

Many of us Mark Green supporters have been waiting for him to strike back at Jim Doyle's constant barrage of attack ads. With today's ruling against him in liberal Dane County by a Doyle-appointed judge he has to know the rules of the game are being rigged by his opponents. Now, Green has struck back. I hope this is just the beginning. The next ad should feature one Georgia Thompson who's going to federal prison for rigging a state travel contract toward a big Doyle contributor.

The Green campaign will move the questioned $467,844 into a separate account leaving Jim Doyle with that much more of a financial advantage. Please donate to Mark Green. Wisconsin doesn't deserve four more years of Doyle's ethical treachery.

More on Doyle's Rigging of the State Elections Board

There has been plenty of electrons spilled on the news that a Gov. Jim Doyle lawyer conspired with members of the State Elections Board to stick it to Rep. Mark Green. Patrick at Badger Blogger has an extensive round-up. So check him out for breadth. I'll highlight some thoughts I found interesting:

• Campaign finance uber-scholar and former FEC member Bradley Smith calls Michael Maistelman's actions "as unethical behavior as I have seen from a lawyer appearing before an administrative agency, or members of the agency itself."

• Jeff Wagner writes, "The attorney for the State Elections Board suggests that this contact was legal. Maybe, maybe not. The point though is that these e-mails provide pretty clear evidence that the process was fixed from the beginning. This wasn't a private citizen lobbying the Elections Board. It was the attorney for the patron of several appointees telling them how to vote."

• Rick Esenberg writes, "Of course, apart from the legality, this looks awful. Here's Maistelman carefully circumventing the open meetings laws and telling these intrepid seekers of truth what the "powers that be" had deemed acceptable. Here he is again telling them that they can tie Green up in the courts and make him look bad."
  

Bad Timing of Doyle's "Ethics" Ad

Ask Me Later's Cantankerous noticed Gov. Doyle's great timing. Yesterday, his campaign released a new ad [PDF] bashing Rep. Mark Green for keeping $468,000 in PAC donations that were legal until Doyle got his cronies on the State Elections Board to retroactively declare them illegal.

In the ad Doyle says he won't stop cleaning up corruption. Will he be asking for Carl Holborn and Kerry Dwyer to step down from the board? Will Doyle campaign attorney Michael S. Maistelman be fired? Will Doyle's campaign pay for the Election Board's court costs since it's a being used as a political weapon against Green?

Doyle's Words vs. Facts

Badger Blogger's video sums up nicely the first Doyle-Green debate:

You could make two good commercials out of that. Nice work, Patrick.

Doyle's Lawyer Had Board Stick It to Green

We might as well toss aside the latest poll numbers. A new piece of data has entered the governor's race, and it's a doozy. Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign lawyer told Democratic members of the State Elections Board to retroactively declare some of Rep. Mark Green's PAC contribution illegal to stymie the Republican's campaign.

Attorney Michael S. Maistelman bluntly told Democratic Party members of the board he contacted why they should publicly sanction or punish the Green campaign, according to documents obtained by the Journal Sentinel under the state's open records law.

"Even if this ends up in Court it is a PR victory for us since it makes Green spend money and have to defend the use of his Washington DC dirty money," Maistelman said in a 9:31 a.m. e-mail one day before the vote. He sent the message to Carl Holborn and Kerry Dwyer, board members appointed by Democratic leaders of the Legislature.

Holborn, Dwyer and another Democratic appointee, Robert Kasieta, were part of a five-vote majority that gave Green's campaign 10 days to divest itself of $467,844 in donations from political action committees not registered in Wisconsin - an order the Green campaign will fight in a Dane County courtroom today.

Now, those of us political junkies figured Doyle was behind the board's unfair ruling, but now the public knows how brazen Team Doyle was.

Wisconsinites strongly feel people should play fair. We've learned again that Gov. Doyle doesn't care about fairness. He simply cares about winning re-election and advancing his liberal agenda. He trades state contracts for campaign contributions, lies about the state government's finances, labels his opponents as "extreme," over does it when talking about embryonic stem cells' medical potential, and now turns a bipartisan election board into a political weapon.

Wisconsin is at a point where serious people need to work together to solve the assortment of problems facing the state. With Rep. Mark Green we have a man who's laying out plans on education, taxes, and health care. With Gov. Doyle it's smear commercials and stacking the deck through cronies. Wisconsin deserves better than that.

"Doyle Lawyer Urged Sanction" [via Fraley's Daily Takes]

UPDATE: To read Michael Maistelman e-mails you can download them here [PDF]

Mark Green on Merit Pay for Teachers

Many teachers work very, very hard. They deserve their salaries and more. Rep. Mark Green agrees and wants merit pay for teachers.

Giving good teachers a pay raise makes sense to me. That's what happens in the private sector. WEAC will gripe because their mission isn't to promote teacher excellence; it's to protect union members no matter how poorly their doing their jobs.

Please make a donation to help Rep. Mark Green "make Wisconsin great again."

Ad War Intensifies

It's commercial time.

• Here's the Republican Governors Association bashing Gov. Doyle over Georgia Thompson's conviction in the Adelman Travel trial.

• Rep. Mark Green hammers Gov. Doyle on University of Wisconsin admissions.

• Gov. Doyle is touting his job creation record.
  

Mark Green on Health Savings Accounts

There are some (there always are) who will say, "There's no difference between the two candidates." Sometimes they're right, but on the issue of health savings accounts there is a big difference. Rep. Mark Green wants to make them deductible on Wisconsin taxes while Gov. Doyle has vetoed the legislation.

Green-Doyle Debate I

Friday night is the worst night to hold a political debate. It's the beginning of the weekend when people begin relaxing and doing things they want to do not the stuff they're told to do. People are going out, taking in one of Wisconsin's famous fish fries, or seeing a movie. News-wise it isn't good either. Saturday newspapers are the least read of the entire week. Why do you think Gov. Doyle vetoed so many bills on a Friday afternoon? A governor's debate on a Friday night makes little sense. So I saved my post-debate analysis until now when people are back into the swing of thinking about "serious" subjects like politics.

Rep. Mark Green understood the debate's timing and unleashed his assortment of sound bites as answers to questions from an audience put together by We the People/Wisconsin. (To spice it up they should have some webloggers take on the candidates.) Friday night's debate was on taxes and the economy. Green jumped on his anti-tax soapbox to tell the audience that "the problem in Wisconsin is we're over-taxed." When asked to rank his preference among various kinds of taxes he said, "I'm unable to say that any of them are too low. All of our taxes are too high." In every answer to a question Green mentioned taxes. He's banking on anti-tax sentiment and hoping enough people will vote on that issue.

For Gov. Doyle every other word out of his mouth was "education." He made the case that he worked very hard to write a budget that protected education and taxpayers. He attacked Green for Washington, D.C.'s fiscal irresponsibility saying, "They haven't made the hard choices in Washington. We have made the hard choices in Madison." He mentioned how previous governors led us to our current budget problems and how federal policies were harming Wisconsin job creation.

Green countered Doyle's budget acumen by pointing out how he borrowed from the transportation fund and other pools of state money to put the budget into balance. Yes, it's easy to claim you put together a balanced budget when: 1) it's required in the state constitution; and 2) you take money from other funds pushing spending cuts and/or tax increases into the future.

On the budget Doyle said that Green's plan to freeze taxes and spending would mean "deep cuts." But in politician-speak that means slowing the rate of growth, something Green stated he wanted to do.

One of Green's goals was to make himself the anti-tax candidate. He succeeded. Gov. Doyle was forced to talk about the taxes he did cut. Doyle's goal was to connect himself with education even if the second debate would focus on that topic. He talked about how we have "got to make sure we have decent schools." He said he has a "full commitment to education."

Throughout the debate Gov. Doyle appeared staid, fairly competent and, well, boring. But being boring doesn't necessarily hurt you when trying to get re-elected. However, near the end Gov. Doyle finally got irritated by Rep. Green constantly accusing him of not caring about high taxes. When talking about a tax freeze that he vetoed three times he said, "I've got to be the grown-up in this." Remember that. Gov. Doyle doesn't think you're serious and an adult if you think taxes should stop going up. Imagine what he thinks of people who want their taxes cut. We caught a glimpse of the real Jim Doyle.

Green hasn't gone after Gov. Doyle's ethical problems. That's the elephant in the room for the two debates. Because the debate organizers have the debates structured around topics--Friday's on taxes and the economy with the 10.22 debate on education and health care--it could be difficult for Green to ask Doyle tough questions about state contracts given to campaign contributors or to go back in time and remind voters the 2002 Doyle campaign kissed up mentally ill people with pastry and small cash prize bingo games or even about how his staff thought it would be a good idea to send a bad of used needles to State Assembly Speaker John Gard's office. He has to find a way to talk about improving the dignity of state government and its office holders. Gov. Doyle's record is an embarrassment to Wisconsin. Mark Green needs to make sure he's held accountable.

"Taxes and Economy Focus of First Guv Debate"

Rude Protesters Interrupt Doyle

I've noticed a lack of passion by right-wing voters in Southeast Wisconsin. I think many are still bummed Scott Walker is no longer running for governor.

So while the rude protest at Gov. Doyle's news conference yesterday was "dumb and counterproductive" (to steal from Charlie Sykes) it gives me some hope that Rep. Mark Green will win the election by finding a way to constructively use all that anti-Doyle energy pent up in Southeast Wisconsin.

"Protesters Disrupt Doyle News Conference"

Wisconsin Doesn't Ban Necrophilia

I bet you didn't know Wisconsin has no ban on necrophilia. That may change. The three Cassville kooks who thought digging up a body and having sex with it would be a fun way to pass the time had their sexual assault charge tossed out. It sort of makes sense in a sick, obscene way. It's hard to rape someone when they're dead. You're neither given nor denied consent. It sounds like a question on a law exam from the craziest law professor this side of [fill in the blank with a Leftist-dominated law school of your choice]. Me thinks whoever is sitting in the governor's office next year will be signing a necrophilia law. Just a hunch.

"Judge Nixes Attempted Sexual Assault Charges Against Accused Grave Robbers"

Bucher Slams Van Hollen in Defeat

When people run for office they put their hearts and souls into it. Hours upon hours are taken up giving speeches, knocking on doors, contemplating strategy, and raising money. Achieving victory must amount to an amazing high. Defeat must be worse than 50 punches to the gut. I can understand Paul Bucher being upset in his loss to J. B. Van Hollen. What he didn't need to do was lash out the way he did. In his concession speech he said,

We were right on the issues - you know it and I know it. We just ran short of money. And you know, that's disappointing that elections can be bought. And I wish J.B. well, but, you know, dumping that kind of money in the race in the last two weeks tells me Wisconsin's for sale.

Van Hollen has funded a good portion of his campaign with a loan on his home. Using one's financial means isn't buying voters. Sen. Kohl has been funding his campaigns out of his fat wallet for years yet no one claims he's bought Wisconsin.

I'm a tad insulted that Bucher thinks my vote can be bought. I didn't endorse Van Hollen because of a television commerical I didn't see--the guy isn't buying much ad time during Milwaukee Brewers' games. I endorsed him because he is right on the issues, is electable, and would do well as Attorney General.

Bucher was understandably frustrated. Thus I'll give him some slack and forget about his bashing of all those good people who went out in some awful weather to vote.

P.S. Did anyone at Van Hollen's party see where Brian Fraley passed out? Did he have a big grin on his face?

"Falk Tops Lautenschlager, Will Face Van Hollen"

Murtha Wins GOP Primary

Here's an oddity I found among the elections results. John Murtha won the GOP primary.

Ok, this John Murtha has nothing to do with the John Murtha wanting the U.S. to bail out of Iraq. The war probably didn't have any role in that state assembly race. Here's how Wisconsin's John Murtha responded to questions from a local newspaper:

What would your goals be if elected? What would be the main focuses of your term?

Goals: Reduce property tax, affordable health care for working families and good paying jobs for western Wisconsin.

I would focus on maintaining the quality of life in the St. Croix Valley, protecting seniors against excessive costs on prescription drugs and making this a good place to live, work and retire.

No mention of Iraq, which didn't bother me. I don't really give much credence to what either John Murtha thinks about the war.

TAM Endorses J.B. Van Hollen

In a few hours the polls will close and the Wiscosin primary election season will end. The big race for me is who will be the Republican nominee for Attorney General. For Waukesha District Attorney Paul Bucher to be from the region I've seen tons of signs for former U.S. Attorney J.B. Van Hollen. That's an indication of some grassroots party support. Along with that Van Hollen has financial resources to run a formidible general election campaign. A negative is Van Hollen's habit of shooting from the hip and not better explaining himself. That's why his "terrorists in Wisconsin" quip is still following him.

Paul Bucher has been on hell of a prosecutor. His sense of justice has made him take on cases that lesser men would run away from. Think prosecuting former Packers fave Mark Chmura. But the Attorney General's office isn't about directly prosecuting criminals--unless your Peg Lautenschlager desparate for some good media.

As Daniel Suhr writes,

I think JB has the temperment and experience to serve as the state’s law enforcement leader. His service as U.S. Attorney has prepared him well for dealing with a range of cases (criminal, civil) and co-workers (sheriffs, DAs, FBI, etc).

That's not to say Bucher couldn't work with other groups. He might.

On the issues both Bucher and Van Hollen both are solid conservatives who would change state Attorney General policy for the better. With both we would see an empahsis on traditional crime fighting. We would see the end to the philosophy of policy-making-by-lawsuit that began when Jim Doyle was in office.

To end the Democrats' reign of the Attorney General's office we need a capable, conservative candidate with the resources and temperment to win over voters across the state. I am voting for J.B. Van Hollen, and I hope you will too.

Doyle-Green Campaign Ad Wars

Rep. Mark Green is getting some good earned (free) media for his radio ad that plays off an old Budweiser commercial:

Jessica McBride talked about the ad for a while on her radio show tonight, and Owen Robinson thinks "it's fantastic." "Mr. Tax-Hiking Politician Man" might be the catch-phrase of the campaign even if Anheuser-Busch isn't thrilled.

Gov. Doyle already has an ad blasting Green for his "illegal" campaign money, illegal only because Doyle flacks on the Elections Board retroactively declared some of Green's money illegal. Well, he took some video from a Madison television station. The out-of-context manner the Doyle campaign used the video ticked off the station:

The clip involving NBC 15 is taken out of context, because attribution used in the story was removed.

We want to make it clear, NBC 15 objects to the use of its newscast in the Doyle ad.

However, after contacting our attorney, we have determined that, because of fair use laws, we have no legal recourse to prevent the clip from our newscast from being used in the ad.

Green is going down the Russ Feingold path of cute, funny, memorable commercials that get caught in your head and force you to talk about them at the water cooler. Doyle is airing traditional campaign commercials that bash the opponent with news media quotes and clips. For now this gives Green the advantage. He still has to introduce himself to voters outside Green Bay and the Fox River Valley. He needs a good hook. However, he can't just be known as the candidate with the funny commercials. Voters want to elect a man who will be serious when in office (and I don't mean seriously paying off his campaign contributors). With his first commercials Green is setting the hook. Eventually he'll have to reel the voters in with more substance.

Mark Green's Money Machine

With the latest fundraising numbers available we know why Gov. Doyle had his flacks on the State Election Board pull a partisan, unfair, retroactive stunt on Rep. Mark Green. Green pulled in $1.39 million to Doyle's $494,000. According to Kevin Binversie Doyle's cash advantage is only $$327,380.

"Green Outraises Doyle Nearly 3 to 1"

State Elections Board Raps Green over PAC Money

Rep. Mark Green got rapped by a partisan vote on the state elections board and ordered to give up $468,000 in political action committee donations he transfered from his federal campaign account to that for his race for governor.

The Doyle campaign is using the board's decision to tar Green, making him look as sleazy as Gov. Doyle. State Democratic Party chairman Joe Wineke called the contested money "dirty." The fact is Green's PAC money was legal when initially raised and legal when moved into gubernatorial account. It only broke the rules when five Democratic board members along with one libertarian decided to stick it to Rep. Green.

Republican State Senator Mike Ellis, fervent critic of campaign finances and no fan to conservatives, said the board's decision was "partisan mischief." Ellis also said, "Every action that Mark Green took from raising the money to spending it, he took according to the laws that were in effect at the time. For the Elections Board to step in at the 11th hour and in a clearly partisan act say that the rules have suddenly changed – and in effect that they should be applied retroactively – is patently unfair."

If Rep. Green's money is illegal then when will Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett be asked to return the money he transfered from his federal campaign account to his 2002 gubernatorial campaign account? At least uber-partisan Bill Christofferson is consistent.

In a memo [PDF], George Dunst, legal counsel to the State Elections Board opined that since the legislature blocked enaction of the board's attempt to prevent Green from moving federal campaign funds into his gubernatorial account, "The effect of the suspension is that Congressman Green’s campaign had the right, in the absence of a countervailing rule, to spend all of its converted money until such time that the rule went into effect."

The Wisconsin State Journal editorial board decided the GOP-controlled State Assembly was to blame for Green's predicament:

The GOP-run state Senate overwhelmingly approved SB 1 last year. Authored by Sen. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, the bill would have created a Government Ac countability Board with members who could not be political hacks. Law school deans or judges -- rather than politicians -- would have nominate fair-minded people to the board.

Mark Green expressed support for Ellis' bill. So did incumbent Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

The only people who didn't want to improve the Elections Board were the ever-so-partisan leaders of the state Assembly -- Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, who is now running for Congress, and his sidekick Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem.

Spouting lame excuses, these guys killed SB 1 despite broad, bipartisan support. And that left the Elections Board as partisan as ever.

That's pushing a pet issue instead of dealing with the news at hand. Democrats on the Elections Board decided a little over two months before the election to stick it to one of the governor candidates. That's a vicious political power play that would happen in a place like Louisiana not Wisconsin.

Chris at the Badger Blog Alliance is absolutely right that the governor's race is a "bar fight." Doyle could have told his cronies on the Elections Board to give Green a pass. He didn't which shows he's willing to use anything at his disposal to win re-election. Democrats on the board say they weren't told how to vote by Doyle. They didn't need to. They didn't get on the board to help Republicans. They're there to advance Democratic Party interests. Owen Robinson writes, "This ruling stinks like a corrupt political move by Doyle’s henchmen on the Elections Board to smear Green during the election."

We're almost at Labor Day when the summer unofficially ends and voters really start looking at the races and candidates. The Green campaign may fight the Election Board's ruling in court. If they do or don't Green will need money to fight all the cash Gov. Doyle and his interests will use to attack Green as "too extreme" for Wisconsin. Now's a great time to dig in your pockets and donate to Mark Green's campaign. Tell Gov. Doyle and his flacks on the Elections Board they can't stop Mark Green from getting his message out.

"Return Cash, Green Told"

Charlie's Show Prep #162

• Former State Department official Richard Armitage admits to being Robert Novak's source that Valerie Plame was a CIA officer. Can we please leave Scooter Libby alone and shut down Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation?

• The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board is tired of Andrés Manuel López Obrador's egotistical temper tantrum.

• Some of Air America's highest ratings this spring were in Madison. But that only means about 13,000 people are listening.

• Some Wisconsin farmers are experimenting by growing cigarette tobacco. Ironic since Jim Doyle as Attorney General who helped suck billions from the industry.

• The "evil" Wal-Mart wants to push 100 million florescent light bulbs onto the American public. This will really mess with the heads of anti-Wal-Mart Lefties. [via digg]

Van Hollen Crime Lab Ad

J.B. Van Hollen uses his lead in campaign funds to put out a new television ad that goes right after Peg Lautenschlager's state crime lab mess.

Dohnal Not Backing Down on Sullivan Double Voting Charge

Bob Dohnal, long-time conservative activist and publisher of the Wisconsin Conservative Digest, is not backing down from his charge that State Senate candidate Jim Sullivan double voted in a previous election. In a letter to the editor to a local newspaper that Dohnal e-mailed TAM he writes,

To the Editor,

Since my name was included in the story about the double voting of Jim
Sullivan, candidate for the state senate, I feel it is necessary for me to
explain my involvement.

When the allegations about Donovan Riley and his double voting came out
I called Stan Zurawski and Mike Goggins to refresh my memory about the
allegations concerning the double voting of Jim Sullivan several years back.

I still was extremely unhappy about the method used by Mr. Sullivan and
his agent to serve me a letter me about the double voting. I had never met
Mr. Sullivan and barely knew of the double voting controversy. I had only
met Mr. Goggins once.

One night in March my wife answered the door and mistakenly let this
person into the house. People, never do that. He asked my wife her name,
then spotted me sitting about 50 feet in my family room. He pushed past my
wife and then handed me this letter in a very threatening manner. He did
not leave until I stood up and ordered him out of my house.

The next day I tried to call Mr. Sullivan and his attorney. Neither
would take or return my call. Several days later I finally got through and
told both of them what I thought of their tactics and what would happen if
that ever happened again. The attorney uttered an expletive and Sullivan
hung up. Later I heard that the DA had dropped the case. No surprise there
as Mike McCann never prosecutes democrats.

Everyone also knew that Sullivan was just about to get his law license
and a felony conviction would void that. Behind the scenes I am sure that
the members of Progressive Milwaukee lobbied McCann to drop it. Why both
Sullivan and his father weren't required to swear about when or if they
voted is beyond me.

In reviewing the records it became plain that Sullivan double voted in
Tosa and Whitefish Bay in 9/98. The records are very clear. Now I
understand that he is claiming that Tosa records are wrong. He is claiming
that the Whitefish Bay records are wrong in 11/96. Two wrong records, doubt
it. Three people would have to make the same mistake at both polls in two
different years and he admits that his parents were out of the country
during the 9/98 time and that he was housesitting.

As an election official in West Allis and Wauwatosa for over a decade
I had never heard of anyone getting the check marks in the wrong place.
Those elderly people that everyone is insulting do a very good job. They
are not stupid as that article suggests.

When we reviewed the records I encouraged Stan to write a letter and I
would help distribute it. He did so and I then sent it out over the email
route.

On the Belling show Mr. Sullivan vowed to take a lie detector test to
prove his innocence. I challenge him to do so immediately, I will pay for
it as long it is a reliable, licensed polygraph operator that does work for
the FBI and the police on a regular basis.

Other wise he should resign the campaign.

Sincerely yours,

Bob and Jean Dohnal
Wauwatosa, Wi. 53226

Dohnal is continuing his fight even though Sullivan's attorney Michael F. Hart threatened legal action against Dohnal in the past:

The purpose of this letter is to place you on formal notice that any further communication whether written or oral including but not limited to, the dissemination and/or distribution of campaign literature claiming that Mr. Sullivan engaged in illegal or improper conduct with respect to his voting history, place of residency and/or compliance with State election laws will be deemed actionable as knowing misstatements of fact, and we will take any and all legal action on behalf of Mr. Sullivan to enforce his rights.

Doyle Getting Indian Money

I'm shocked, SHOCKED Indian tribes have been giving to Gov. Doyle. When you hand out juicy gaming compacts the tribes get what they pay for.

Rule #1 in campaign finance reform: If government didn't have so much power people wouldn't donate to enrich themselves.

"Doyle Re-Election Coffers Flow with Tribal Money"

Bucher-Van Hollen Tension Boils Over

There's a reason they invented e-mail. So participants in this conversation won't cringe when they re-read this conversation on a public weblog.

It seems the Bucher-Van Hollen aggitation is spreading from the two candidates. We've got spouses involved, supporters involved, even spouses of supporters (who are supporters themselves) involved.

Hey all, chill out--literally! It's the middle of August, and it's too warm. Everyone should grab a cold beer and relax.

As to the Bucher ad, John “Jay” Balchunas’ name is all over the newspapers. Him being murdered is a documented fact. Bucher mentioning it wasn't exploitation unless you call regurgitating the news "exploitation." Those who were griping need two beers to relax.

"Bucher Pulls Murdered Agent's Name from Ad"

Paul Bucher Radio Ad Jumps on Bolton Story

State Attorney General candidate Paul Bucher released a radio ad that takes advantage of news that a backlogged state criminal lab allowed a rapist to run free eventually killing a state Justice Department agent.

In 2006 a 15-year old girl was gang raped. Anthony Bolton later took the girl in his car, raped her, then dumped her half-naked in a park. July 9, 2004 the state crime lab received DNA evidence from the victim. From Bolton's DNA already on file from a previous drug conviction the crime lab finally connected Bolton to the rape in February 2005. That was almost four months after Agent John "Jay" Balchunas was murdered.

This news is damning to incumbent Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager. She runs the crime lab. The backlog of needed DNA testing is widely known. Now, we learn her mismanagement of the crime lab allowed a rapist to run free and kill a law officer.

So while the number of cases waiting on DNA testing at the state crime lab doubled between 2003 and 2005 Peg thinks it's important to do things like prosecute a murder case in Northwest Wisconsin and run off to Hollywood to be on Tyra Banks' show.

"DNA Test Late; Man Free to Kill"

[Ad via WisPolitics]

Sullivan's Supposed Double Vote

The drama behind Jim Sullivan's voting record continues. Bill Christofferson writes the accusation of Sullivan voting twice in 1996 is a pack of lies:

The charge is totally bogus, and was dismissed by the district attorney's office in 2000, when Sullivan was running for Wauwatosa alderman. (He won.)

Someone named Michael Goggins filed the complaint then, attaching the same voter lists that Zurawski is now circulating, purporting to show Sullivan voted twice.

The district attorney's office investigated and wrote Goggins on March 28. 2000 to say the office was closing the investigation and taking no action.

Why? The Whitefish Bay voter history list was unreliable, Assistant DA Kurt Benkley said.

You see, Wauwatosa Ald. Jim Sullivan, the one running for the State Senate, is James Sullivan, Jr. His father, you won't be surprised to learn, is James Sullivan, Sr.

Therein the confusion, and the conclusion by the DA that the confusion "renders Whitefish Bay voter history records as to James Sullivan, Jr. and James Sullivan, Sr. unreliable and valueless. (My emphasis.)

Ah yes, E. Michael McCann's office said there was nothing there. Therefore there was nothing there. This is the same district attorney's office that plea bargains at the first sign of prosecutorial difficulty and wouldn't go after vote fraud in the 2004 election. Steve Biskupic's U.S. Attorney's office has been doing most of the hard work.

Jim McGuigan adds quotes from letters from E. Michael McCann's office. The most interesting being the one where Michael F. Hart wrote the District Attorney's office would legally defend Sullivan, Jr. if his opponents continued to use the voting accusation. Isn't that what Sullivan, Jr. should pay his lawyers to do? I think the District Attorney's office has better things to do (like lock up criminals) than be involved in political spats. [See update below.]

In Sullivan's case I can see where sloppy record keeping could be the source of the accusation. In the Whitefish Bay voter records it lists two James Sullivans living at 627 E. Carlisle Ave. One with a birthdate of 12.26.1967, the State Senate candidate, and one with a birthdate of 10.27.1936. The younger Sullivan is listed as voting in the general election on 11.05.1996. The older Sullivan is listed as voting in elections in 1998 and 1999. It's not outlandish to conceive Sullivan, Sr. going to vote in 1998 and giving his name to the poll worker only to have the wrong Sullivan marked off. What would be very interesting is if both Sullivans had voted.

To make things a little more interesting I received a forwarded e-mail from J.J. Blonien to Stan Zurawski, Sullivan, Jr.'s accuser. Blonien claims, "Jim Sullivan Sr. was not living in the home on Carlisle during November of 1996, and that candidate Sullivan was watching his parent’s home." Where was Sullivan, Sr.? How would Blonien know this? Who's going to find Jim Sullivan, Sr. and ask him where he was on the night of 11.05.1996?

I could care less about Tom Reynolds' political future. He's a strange man with strange views. I was all set to blast the hell out of him if he killed a school choice bill last March. I'm more interested is documenting voter fraud so laws can be changed to reduce it, and those who commit it are punished.

P.S. Christofferson and McGuigan don't understand the meaning of "lie." Neither man has any evidence Owen Robinson knew he was passing on a falsehood. If the accusation isn't true the worst that can be said is Owen didn't look into the story enough and ran too soon with it. McGuigan wanted to do a little smearing of his own, and decided to bash "right wing bloggers" plural. If he wanted to really do that he should have linked to more than one right wing weblog following the story.

UPDATE: Jay Bullock, A.K.A. Folkbum, corrects me. I incorrectly claimed Michael F. Hart was a part of E. Michael McCann's District Attorney's office. He's James Sullivan, Jr.'s lawyer. So it would make sense for him to legally defend Sullivan, Jr. against false accusations.

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State Senate Candidate and Double Voting

First the Spice Boys found State Senate candidate Donovan Riley double voted in 2000, once in Wisconsin and once in Illinois. Now, Owen Robinson received evidence from a reader that State Senate candidate James O. Sullivan might voted twice in a 09.98 election.

Are Democrate State Senate candidates so infatuated with voting they like to do it twice? And these are just two people who got caught. How many do you think get away with it each election?

P.S. Mayor Barrett, we found your vote fraud example. He's a member of your own political party. I eagerly await you to decry his illegality and ask him to end his campaign.

"The More You Vote, the Better You Feel"

"Pattern of Dems Double Voting"